FEATURED ARTICLES ABOUT ZUNE - PAGE 5

To better compete with Apple and establish its own brand, Microsoft reportedly is planning to open retail stores. But, Microsoft being Microsoft, we are anticipating some unique features: Store hours: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. But each day it will take 90 minutes to open, two hours to close. Statues of Bill Gates trying to look friendly to be removed from entryways after widespread reports of children whimpering. Windows Vista never, ever mentioned. But you can't get XP either.

Lars von Trier 's "Nymphomaniac" - the first part, anyway, of his lengthy two-part intellectually-challenging look at sexual relationships -- is available Thursday in the U.S. on most home viewing platforms.The film stars Shia LaBeouf, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Stellan Skarsgard, Christian Slater, Jamie Bell, Uma Thurman and Willem Dafoe. The Magnolia Pictures release, which opens in limited theatrical release on March 23, can be seen on video on demand for about $9.99 on most cable systems including Time Warner, Comcast, Cablevision and on Dish and Directv.

Two of the last major tech companies to report this earnings season checked in Thursday with results that beat estimates. Microsoft Corp. said first-quarter profit rose 11 percent, helped by higher revenue from server software, and Sun Microsystems Inc. posted a loss, but one that was only half as much as Wall Street expected. Redmond, Wash.-based Microsoft said net income was $3.48 billion, or 35 cents a share, up from $3.14 billion, or 29 cents a share, a year earlier. The most recent result surpassed estimates by 4 cents a share.

Wintertime is indoor time for most folks. For others, it's a time to get up and go. These gadgets go with you in style. --Eric Gwinn On the slopes: Strap this tiny water- and shock-resistant camera to your helmet and hit the ski resorts (or the skate park or the mountain bike trails) to capture yourself in derring-do mode. Recording at a lifelike 30 frames per second to an AVI file, the Oregon Scientific ATC-2K action camcorder saves your memories to the built-in 32 megabyte storage or to an optional 2 gigabyte SD card ($50 to $60)

As competitors challenge Apple Inc. in digital music, the biggest beneficiary could be Apple. Last week, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and RealNetworks Inc. strengthened their digital music offerings to better compete with Apple's iTunes store. Wal-Mart began selling songs without anti-piracy locks for 94 cents apiece and RealNetworks' Rhapsody subscription service announced new partners that would promote it on MTV and distribute it on Verizon cell phones. But the competition might actually help Apple.

If I hosted a talk show and could leave my studio audience with a goody bag filled with my favorite tech toys, here's what I'd include: I'll start with the one product that should be on everyone's wish list: the Pure Digital Point & Shoot Video Camcorder. Available in two models--30 and 60 minutes--this nifty device allows anyone to shoot passable videos to store on a PC or Mac, upload to YouTube.com or transfer to a portable player. You also can play back the video on your TV. I've done all of the above with very satisfactory results.

Chicago-area hotels are going ga-ga for gadgets in a nod to a world that can't seem to live without its iPods and cell phones. The Hard Rock Hotel is about to start upgrading to HDTVs in every room. The Peninsula has added equipment to improve cell phone reception in rooms on its upper floors. The Hyatt chain is about to open its fourth Chicago-area Hyatt Place property, an all-suite spinoff that offers a "Plug Panel" in each room. This wall-mounted plate is covered with connectors that allow you to attach your laptop and use the in-room 42-inch HDTV as your monitor; or plug in your MP3 player and listen to it through the TV's room-filling speakers.

Apple Computer Inc., maker of the top-selling iPod, has teamed up with six airlines so passengers can watch videos stored on the devices from seat-back monitors. United, Continental, Delta, Air France, Emirates and KLM will offer iPod connections on flights starting in mid-2007, Apple said Tuesday. The company also said it is working with Panasonic Avionics Corp. to bring the technology to more airlines. The plan, announced the same day Microsoft Corp. released its rival Zune player, builds on Apple's push to extend the iPod's lead in the digital entertainment market.

The Tribune's Eric Benderoff checks out the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, an annual feast for the senses. Practically anything you can plug in, turn on or activate is on display. 1 MONSTER TV Can you tell the difference between a 102-inch plasma television and a 108-inch LCD model? Here's your chance to try. But even the geeks will tell you these big screens are for people who like to sit in the front row of a movie theater. Billionaire Mark Cuban must be one: He recently shelled out $70,000 for a 103-inch Panasonic plasma, one of the two dozen or so that have shipped, the company said.